Saskatchewan producers are well ahead of schedule in all regions thanks to warm, dry conditions over the past several weeks.

 

A faster-progressing and better quality harvest is expected this year due to the dry season.

Terry Bedard is an Agrologist with Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food tells us things are well ahead of schedule. "Close to 50 percent of the 2006 crop is involved in harvest operations and that being about 19 percent of the crop has been combined, a further 27 per cent has been swathed or is ready to be straight combined."

Harvest operations were most advanced in the southwestern part of the province where forty-four percent of the crop has been combined. The main sources of crop damage this past week are cited as insects, drought stress and wind.